Twitter is now aflame after it came to light that Liverpool midfielder Fabinho might miss out on his move to the Saudi Pro League due to concerns about his pet dogs.
Saudi Arabia does not permit dog breeds considered dangerous and/or aggressive such as Rottweilers and Pit Bulls, with it being said that French bulldogs may be added to that list.
Aside from that, a document shared on Twitter adds more to the confusion on the whole matter, saying that dogs will be permitted entry into Saudi Arabia only if they are used for hunting, employed as guard dogs, or service dogs for the visually impaired.
The 29-year-old Brazilian reportedly wants assurances regarding his two French bulldogs before consenting to the final touches on an impending transfer to Al-Ittihad.
Al-Ittihad, managed by Nuno Espirito Santo, have been busy in the transfer market this summer following the acquisitions of free agents Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante, and former Celtic star Jota.
Fabinho will be looking to join the Portuguese winger as well as the French duo on the roster in Jeddah.
The Fabinho dogs story is absolute peak FT silly season. 😅
One Twitter user referred to the saga surrounding this transfer as the height of silliness while another remarked that Premier League champions Manchester City have enough clout to smooth over any canine-related obstacles.
Man City would solve Fabinho’s dogs issue by having them registered as cats
Another rained ire on the Brazil international for drawing the line at his pets’ predicament rather than the fact that he chose to engage in transfer negotiations with a club in a country with a questionable Human Rights record.
Love that Fabinho isn’t put off moving to Saudi Arabia by draconian & persecutionary attitudes to women & LGBTQ+ people, a country condemned by Amnesty International, but if they stop him taking his pet dogs there, that’s where he draws the line.
Yet one more called the matter laughable in case Fabinho’s transfer falls apart due to his pet dogs, even more so than the long, drawn-out transfer sagas concerning Ukraine international Yevhen Konoplyanka and France international Nabil Fekir.
From a Liverpool transfer story POV, Fabinho's move to Saudi Arabia being called off because his dogs are not permitted into the country would be funnier than the Konoplyanka and Fekir sagas combined.
Konoplyanka was on the verge of a move to Liverpool in 2014 but it fell apart at the eleventh hour as the Reds decided against paying the high figure requested by his then-club Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.
Fekir, then captain of Olympique Lyon, had all but agreed a move to Anfield in principle in 2018 but ended up in Seville with Real Betis instead.
It remains to be seen if Liverpool fans view the matter through the same lens in case Fabinho is forced to stay put at Anfield beyond the summer as Jurgen Klopp’s side are on the lookout for further midfield reinforcements.
